January 8.—Dined at General Egerton’s, and went in the evening with him and Mrs. E. to a great party at the Pavilion. The Prince of Orange was there. He came yesterday, and is to stay till the 10th. He has been some time in England, and brought a letter to the King from his father, requesting his Majesty to be kind to him, as he himself had forgiven him. There was dancing, and some musicians from Bohemia played and sang.
February 14.—The King after dinner drank to the memory of the Earl of St. Vincent, and of all the brave officers and men who fought on that day and are now no more, and to the health of those who survive.
London, March 6.—The son of Murat lives in this (Dover) street. He arrived lately from America, where he is naturalised, and practises at the bar. He often visits his cousin Lady Dudley Stuart, the daughter of Lucien Bonaparte. The Prince of Orange, I hear, is frequently at their parties. Murat was at Lord Grey’s last night.
April 17.—Dined with the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, at their apartments in St. James’s Palace. The Landgravine was also there. The apartments are handsome. On the ground floor a waiting-room, library, and dining-room; and up-stairs, a large and superb drawing-room; excellent bedchamber, dressing-room, &c. There are several portraits—George III., Queen Charlotte, Mr. Pitt, two sons of the Duchess, a bust of Goethe, &c. The dinner was very good, and well served: all in the most proper style. The Duchess has excellent manners, and Prince George, who came in at the dessert, with two young companions, is really a delightful boy.
December 31.—This year has been one of the most painful to the feelings of those who have been accustomed to the principles of social order and morality, that I can remember. The French revolution in the last century cannot be recalled to mind without horror, as every period of it was marked by the most atrocious crimes, and a total contempt of morality and religion. But the insidious duplicity, the want of faith, and perversion of reason, which have brought about and coloured the progress of that of 1830, threaten Europe with a total disorganisation of political and moral principle. Alarm of every description is prevailing. The ties of blood and of alliance are forgotten; and while it is pretended that everything is being done for the maintenance of peace, no security is given for the preservation of internal tranquillity. France is still under the government of Louis Philippe and his Minister, Casimir Périer; Belgium, under that of Leopold. Poland is reoccupied by Russia. Italy, notwithstanding the efforts made to revolutionise her, is still quiet, except, perhaps, in the three Legations, and they are kept in awe by Austria.
[At the end of this lamentation, Miss Knight records various anecdotes she had picked up in the course of the year, a few of which are worth extracting.]
April 19.—Prince de Talleyrand wrote the other day to Louis Philippe, who had been intriguing to get the throne of Belgium for his second son, the Duke de Nemours: “Il faut que votre Majesté se rappelle qu’avant de pouvoir mettre le pied en Brabant, il faut avoir le pied en Europe.”
The Duke of Orleans was always making unjust complaints of Louis XVIII., and one day went so far as to say to M. de B. that it was very unwise to treat him in that manner, for, added he, “Je compte pour beaucoup en France.” M. de B. answered: “Cela n’est pas possible, monseigneur, car vous n’êtes ni brave, ni généreux;” and, turning his back on him, left the room. The Duke from that time overwhelmed M. de B. with civilities and flatteries.
Charles X. says that his conscience acquits him of having had anything in view contrary to the good of his people, whose lives he wished to spare, and whom he was only anxious to save from the artifices of faction. He was made to believe that there would be twenty-nine thousand troops in Paris, and that all would pass over quietly. The Dauphiness still speaks with tender affection of her native country, notwithstanding all she has suffered there. She said the other day to a lady: “On nous calomnie cruellement; mais croyez-vous que l’histoire nous rendra justice?”
The Grand-Duchess Helena is now (July) at Sidmouth, and her father, Prince Paul of Würtemberg, is with her. An Irish family were presented to her amongst others, when she said to them: “What are you doing here? You ought to be in your own country, and spending your money there.”